Here is a scene of prehistory inspired by the new research in geology and paleontology going on at the time, in which Darwin himself was immersed. As scientists became convinced that the earth was far older than the Bible suggested, artists such as Farren responded with imaginative visions. This oil-on-canvas painting is an example of how artists began to re-focus their attention in the light of revelatory scientific discoveries

This dramatic scene is a copy of a design by English geologist Henry de la Beche. Farren probably made this large painting as a teaching aid. The imaginative reconstruction of the prehistoric earth, with dinosaurs and other ancient creatures, was based on the latest fossil finds from Lyme Regis in Dorset. A fierce, crocodile-like ichthyosaur grips a plesiosaur with its razor-sharp teeth, while another plesiosaur in turn snatches at a pterodactyl.